Can't Stop
by StoryGirl02
Summary: It doesn't help that her dad loves Neil Diamond and the only thing she can hear at night is the soft thumping of the records, the crooning of his voice whispering into her room.
1. Chapter 1

**Can't Stop**

_- everything has changed- _

* * *

She just can't stop thinking about him.

He is the first thing she thinks about when she wakes up; and the very last thing at night. She can't concentrate in class, she can't concentrate in Glee, she can't think about anything but him! It frustrates her to no end, the fact that just the mere thought of him can leave her speechless, but he can talk with her and look at her and live his life, without showing any emotion.

The worst thing is; she broke up with him. She ended it, when it could have just kept on going. She ended it, and that hurts.

She offered to be friends, and he didn't take it.

She wanted to be friends more than anything in the world.

* * *

It doesn't help that her dad loves Neil Diamond and the only thing she can hear at night is the soft thumping of the records, the crooning of his voice whispering into her room. It brings back memories that she has tried her damn hardest to squash down, to forget about, its brings back the feelings she felt, watching him, his hands strumming so lightly on his guitar.

It brings back everything that she never wanted to remember again.

So she slips into bed, buries her head underneath her pillow, listens to the music, and cries.

* * *

The next day, she walks into school, bags underneath her eyes. Her eyes are bloodshot and she can hardly breathe for trying. She looks far from perfect, but she likes it, the baggy sweater and the short skirt. Her hair hasn't been combed and she's fairly certain that she cried into it, but she doesn't care.

For once, Rachel Berry acts like a regular teenager.

And when the slushy is thrown into her face, bits of grape ice dripping down her face, she doesn't care. All she can think about is how perfect Puck looks, the smirk on his face and the shirt molded to his chest.

Because damn, she thinks, she had something that good, that perfect, and she gave it up?

She's never felt so dumb.

* * *

She slinks into Glee practice late, her face flushed from scrubbing the slushy off. Mr. Schue doesn't seem to care; he lets her take her seat and continues talking.

And just because she has the best luck in the world, the only empty seat is next to Puck. So she takes it, and sits there, hands folded in her lap. Her hair shields her face from view, and she stares dead ahead, trying her hardest not to slip up and look at him.

She really doesn't need another reminder of how perfect he is, and how stupid she was to let him go.

Somewhere in between listening to Mr. Schue's speech and looking down at her fingernails- _they need a cut_- she becomes aware of a pair of eyes on her. She straightens up and glances sideways, meeting Puck's eyes.

She just wants to melt.

How can he be so perfect?

"You've got toilet paper stuck to your cheek," he says, tapping his own cheek.

She flushes red, peeling the offensive white paper away, and letting it drop to the floor. "Thanks," she whispers.

He just shrugs, and turns back to listening to Mr. Schue.

Why can't she just forget about him?

_God, he's in love with Quinn!_

But her own feelings for Finn have been unsteady lately, and she can't honestly say that nothing's changed.

Because everything has.

_Good times never seemed so good. _

* * *

**First Glee fic, yay! I used to be a Fin/Rachel shipper but after Mash-Up, wow, I think I've fallen in love with Puck/Rachel. ****Anyways, reviews are love! And I most certainly do not own that last line, it belongs to Neil Diamond! **


	2. Chapter 2

****

Can't Stop

**Chapter Two: Someday She'll See**

_-maybe she'll take off her rose-coloured glasses and see-_

* * *

Sometimes, he thinks, he _hates _Rachel Berry.

But then he takes one look at her and he can't remember why.

He steals the link to her myspace videos off Santana and one night, completely and utterly bored out of his mind, finds it in his jeans pocket. And even though he was only going to look at them to have something new to taunt her about, he finds himself staring hopelessly at the small screen, staring right at her as she belt out the lyrics to some song. The song is overshadowed by her voice.

He's never seen something so perfect.

And he can't believe that Finn doesn't want this, doesn't think that she's worth dumping Quinn for.

And even though he might have feelings for Quinn, there is no doubt in his mind that Rachel Berry is hot. She might not believe it, he might not actually believe that he's thinking it, but damn, she's a _hot _Jew.

Too bad she can't see past Finn's childish grin and dumb expression, to see that he is waiting for her, and that he will wait forever.

_Not matter how long it takes her to realize that. _

_

* * *

_He doesn't want to throw the slushy in her face.

But he does so anyway, for his reputation. It kills him to hurt her so, but he has to. She'll understand.

And when the bits of grape ice are dripping down her face, all he can think is, _damn she's pretty._

* * *

He fights with Quinn again.

She holds her books over her slowly-expanding abdomen, and he thinks that she's trying to tell herself that it's not real, that she's not pregnant. He never wanted her to get pregnant, he never wanted to have a baby, but here they are, stuck, without any options available to them.

She wants to give it up, but he doesn't, and damnit, he's not giving up without a fight. This baby is half his and he does have a say in its life, no matter what Quinn thinks. She thinks Finn would be a better father then him? Well then, she could go ahead and let him raise it.

But it hurts when she scowls at him and walks out of the room.

"_I never had any relationship with you. What we had was purely physical. It was stupid, and I promise you, i__t will never happen again." _

Finn could have her.

But that baby girl was still half his; and he was never going to give her up.

* * *

Mr. Schue wants him to sing a duet with Mercedes and he accepts gratefully, thankful that he wont have to spend another hour looking up at Rachel will she makes lovey-dovey eyes at Finn, who instead of looking at his girlfriend, is staring back at her.

They play the role of perfect couple and he is completely sick of watching from the sidelines.

He's a leader, not a sheep.

Mercedes is a good singer, and he enjoys singing with her, not caring whether Mr. Schue will pick their duet for part of their routine at Nationals, not caring that the song they've chosen isn't meant to be sung as a duet. It was the only song that could agree on, after all. He enjoys strumming along on his guitar as her powerful vocals take the leads, his less-powerful- than-hers voice joining in occasionally.

He enjoys watching Rachel and Finn stare up at Mercedes and him as they sing, because for once, he is in the spotlight, not dumb jock Finn who believes he got his girlfriend pregnant, when they never had sex, 'adorable' Finn who only became the male lead in Glee because he fucking joined first, cute Finn who can't see what staring him right in the face.

Puck hates that Rachel is in love with Finn, he hates it to the core.

He beams with satisfaction as Mercedes belts out the last few notes, his guitar-playing stopped to join in softly, his voice drowned out by the power of Mercedes's.

"_Oh baby, we belong together." _

Rachel smiles up at him, her eyes sparkling, and he has never felt more alive.

Maybe someday, she will lift off her rose-coloured glasses and see that Finn is not the man for her.

He'll be waiting for that day.

_I never should have let you go__, Rachel Berry. _

* * *

**Thanks to all the reviewers! You inspired me to keep going with this story! Reviews are love. Mariah Carey owns the song "We Belong Together."**


	3. Lovestruck

**Can't Stop**

**Chapter Three: Lovestruck**

_-when he smiles at her, she can tell it's just a friendship smile-_

* * *

"Hey, Berry."

"Noah." She gives him a curt nod, before walking away, her skirt slightly riding up as she paces down the hall. His eyes are glued to the sight of her, and he can't tear them away. Gods, why has this happened to him? Off all the girls in the school, in all the world, he has to be attracted to Rachel fucking Berry?

Rachel Berry of the short-short-skirts and the amazing-voice, Rachel Berry of the two-gay-dads, the Rachel Berry who is someone he would never have imagined liking.

Santana and Britney, yeah, he could like, but Rachel Berry?

That's territory that Noah Puckerman should never have entered.

Like poison ivy, it's left more of a mark on his heart than he ever wants to admit.

* * *

She stares at her relfection in the mirror, slowly washing her hands in the sink. The ladies room is empty, and she's grateful for that small favour. Gods, her heart is beating so loudly she doubts that people in China can't hear it.

_Thump-thump-thump. _

How does Noah get her heart racing?

She splashes water up onto her face, trying to cool down. Why can't she just forget about him? She dumped him because she's in love with Finn, so she really should not be thinking about him.

It defies all the rules and logic, her attraction to Noah.

* * *

Finn smiles at him as he walks into Glee, and he forces himself to smile back. Quinn just shoots him a glare. Even from here he can see the soft swell of her stomach, and he knows that the small amount of weight she's put on is what makes her fold her arms over her stomach, trying her hardest to hide her pregnancy.

Why can't she just let it go?

Glee is the one place where they can all be free, be who they what to be. Puck knows it sounds so dammed cliché, but he does believe it. Here, he can be Noah Puckerman, guitarist with an alright-voice, with an attraction to Rachel Berry, but in football he has to play the role of tough jock, who would never ever touch a Glee freak.

He sits down next to Tina in silence. Neither of them talk. Tina fiddles with the hemming on her skirt and her hair hides her face away from him. He doesn't care, he's content to stare at Rachel while she stares at Finn.

Damn, he's acting like some lovestruck teenager.

But he is a lovestruck teenager, though.

* * *

She stays behind after Glee to practice her scales. Her mind whirls with her thoughts, she can hardly concentrate on singing, and that is an honest first for her. Why can't she just let him go?

Sighing, she lays her head down on the piano, her brown hair falling over her face. She just wants to get up and pound her hair against the wall, do anything to get rid of the thoughts she is currently thinking. But she can't. Because as much as she wants to forget about him, she really doesn't want to let him go.

God, god, god, it hurts.

But he doesn't feel the same way.

Even when he smiles at her, she can tell it's just a friendship smile, not aN I-want-to-be-with-you-forever smile, like the ones she wants to grin at him. She wants to be able to hold his hand in public, she wants to have a cute couple name, like Puckleberry, she just wants him.

But she can't have him.

Did anyone else ever have this problem?

There is a loud bang from behind and her head shoots up from the piano, cracking her neck awkwardly. She rubs it slowly, not wanting to turn around and see who it is.

She knows who it is.

She can smell his cologne. It's remained it her mind and she can't forget it.

_Damn, damn, damn, damn! _

"Sorry for disturbing you," he says, and she can hear his footsteps drawing closer. "I forgot that I left my keys here."

"That's okay," she mumbles out, not daring to draw her eyes from staring at the black and white keys of the piano. With another quick jangle, Noah Puckerman is gone from her life again.

She really wants to call him back.

But she doesn't.

* * *

**I hate you all for making me continue this. Joking, I love writing it, and I love reading your incredible responses! Currently, this has no plot, so if you'd like to see something special happen between our favourite couple, or just want to offer a suggestion, please do! I can't wait to see the next episode- two more nights!- and the promo's of Puck are just aweeeesome! Anyways, reviews are love.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Can't Stop**

**Four**

**

* * *

**And just when he thought that things couldn't possibly get worse, what with Finn and the whole baby drama and the whole liking Rachel but not being able to do anything, it does. Finn finds out about the fact that he's the father of Quinn's baby and that they've all been lying to him, and it hurts so freaking bad when his supposedly best-friend slams his fist into his nose. But he doesn't know what hurts more, his nose or the fact that he just probably lost a good friend forever, all because of one silly mistake.

But then he learns that Rachel spilled the beans to Finn, and that hurts more than the injured nose.

Because he thought he could trust Rachel, thought that even if nothing was going to ever happen between them, she could at least be a good friend and occasional baby-sitter to Sarah on the nights his mom went out and he had plans. But no, she let her infatuation with Finn get in the way, as it always did.

But all thoughts leave him when Quinn wraps her arms around him and sobs loudly into his shirt.

Because, really, he has big problems to deal with right now.

**xxx**

So he leaves it alone, because he figures that his feelings will go away in time. He is a stud, of course and plenty of girls are wanting to tap that. He's got Quinn too, and that changes everything, because he's almost always had a thing for her, even if it was always a secret. Rachel Berry just does not measure up to Quinn Fabray, not matter how much of a 'Hot Jew' she was.

Rachel and Finn sort of start dating, but surprisingly that does not really bother him. He figures that it will fade away, because his man Finn never was good at committing. Quinn and him are on odd terms; he wants to be there for their baby's birth, but she constantly refuses his help.

And then another game-player enters the mix, turning their love square into a very confused, odd pentagon.

_Jesse St James. _

**xxx**

She never thought high-school, or boys for that matter, would ever be so confusing.

First there was Finn, and her utterly-confusing crush on him, despite the fact that he was dating Quinn and she would never get him in a million years, no matter how hard she tried. But that didn't really work out did it.

Then there was Puck, and she had to admit that at first she was kind of using him to make Finn jealous, and she regrets that even thought he was totally doing the same thing. Her dad's were pleased that she was dating a fellow Jew, even one with the reputation of Noah Puckerman. During their short-live romance, she had discovered plenty about Puck, and she just hoped that Quinn would do the same as well.

And then there was Finn _again,_ but this time he was willing and ready to date her, for real. But that didn't really work out, she just found herself crushed by another boy, once again.

But hopefully this newest relationship would work out.

Jesse was exactly like her, striving towards his goals no matter what it took, determined and ready. It helped that he was utterly handsome to, the Romeo to her Juliet, in a way. They made pitch-perfect music together, and she couldn't help but think of a future in New York where they were married and performing on Broadway together. It was cliche to think that this could be her perfect romance, but it was true.

Everything else with Noah and Finn had been trials, and _this,_ this thing with Jesse St James was her real test.

* * *

**Ahhhh, so so so so freaking sorry it took me so long to update, like over half a year guys! This won't be much longer, maybe six/seven chapter, continuing onto the season one finale. Nothing after that, sorrrrrrrrrry. Anyways, review? :)**


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